$4.5m redevelopment for Wellington Zoo

A kiwi at Wellington Zoo has an endoscopy. Photo / File

Wellington Zoo is in for a multi-million dollar redevelopment that will put more of New Zealand's wildlife on show.

The $4.5 million project, which will take up around a quarter of the zoo's land, will begin later this year.

Wellington Zoo spokeswoman Amy Hughes said the 'Meet the Locals' project is a love story to New Zealand.

"Going from the shore with penguins to a farm, bush and then the mountains with kea and endangered skinks," she said.

The enclosure is expected to open by 2016.